how to make beef stew in a slow cooker

A classic slow cooker beef stew uses cubed beef, root vegetables, and a flavorful broth cooked for several hours until everything is tender. Here is a simple, flexible method you can follow and adjust to your taste.

Ingredients

• 1 to 1.5 kg (2 to 3 lb) stewing beef or chuck, cut into 2–3 cm cubes, patted dry
• 2 to 3 tablespoons flour, plus extra if thickening at the end
• Salt and black pepper
• 2 tablespoons oil (vegetable or olive)
• 3 to 4 carrots, sliced or chunked
• 3 to 4 potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 to 2 stalks celery, sliced (optional)
• 2 to 3 cloves garlic, minced
• About 750 ml (3 cups) beef stock or broth
• 1 to 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 to 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 to 2 teaspoons dried herbs (such as thyme, rosemary, or mixed Italian herbs)
• 1 to 2 bay leaves (optional)
• Frozen peas or chopped parsley to finish (optional)

Basic cooking steps

1. Season and coat the beef
   • Toss the beef with salt, pepper, and 2 to 3 tablespoons of flour so the cubes are lightly coated.
2. Brown the meat (recommended but optional)
   • Heat the oil in a pan over medium‑high heat.
   • Brown the beef in batches so it develops color but does not steam; transfer browned pieces to the slow cooker as they’re done.
3. Soften aromatics and deglaze
   • In the same pan, add onion and celery (if using) and cook a few minutes until softened.
   • Add garlic and cook briefly until fragrant.
   • Pour in a splash of the beef stock, scrape up the browned bits from the pan, and then pour everything into the slow cooker.
4. Load the slow cooker
   • Add carrots, potatoes, and any remaining vegetables to the slow cooker.
   • Stir in the remaining stock, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, herbs, and bay leaves.
   • The liquid should come close to the top of the ingredients but not completely submerge them; add a little more stock or water if needed.
5. Cook low and slow
   • Cover and cook on LOW for about 7–9 hours or on HIGH for about 3½–5 hours, until the beef is very tender and the vegetables are soft.

Thickening and finishing

• If the stew is thinner than you like, mix 1 to 2 tablespoons flour or cornstarch with cold water to form a smooth slurry.
• Stir the slurry into the hot stew, turn the slow cooker to HIGH, and cook for an additional 15–30 minutes until thickened.
• Taste and adjust salt and pepper. Stir in a handful of frozen peas for the last 5–10 minutes if you like, and sprinkle with chopped parsley before serving.

Tips and variations

• For extra richness, replace about 1 cup of the stock with red wine and let it simmer briefly in the pan after deglazing before adding to the slow cooker.
• You can add mushrooms, turnips, or parsnips with the other vegetables.
• If using very lean meat, avoid overcooking on HIGH; LOW for longer usually gives more tender results.